Last month, I attended the “Crypto for Good Conference” even though I’m not the biggest fan of “crypto” events, but the subject matter of this one caught my attention. When I hear the term “crypto,” my mind wanders to exchanges, trading, market manipulation, and scams—I was curious to hear how “crypto” is being used for good and whether blockchain technology, in general, would be covered. In addition, Owen Vaughan of Bitroots was listed as a speaker, and I love his work, so I figured, what have I got to lose?
Turns out the London-based event was packed with interesting people, I enjoyed a few sessions (including Vaughan’s), and I bumped into some friendly faces from the blockchain space, such as Lavinina Osborne of Women in Blockchain Talks and Ollie Lessiter of London Blockchain Conference.
Osborne, one of the most connected professionals in the London blockchain space, praised organizers GreenGage Marketing for the “crypto for good” theme and said this topic should be included in all blockchain conferences.
“Conversations about ‘crypto for good’ aren’t optional; they’re essential. The fintech and blockchain community has immense technical capability, and aligning innovation with [purpose] ensures technology doesn’t just advance markets, but advances society,” Osborne shared with me.
“ESG, sustainability, and philanthropy bring in [the human lens]; accountability, transparency, and systems that redistribute value more equitably. These topics give builders and investors a real stake in social outcomes, not just financial returns, and help bridge the trust gap between traditional capital and next-gen digital ecosystems,” she said.
A builder and friend in the blockchain space that immediately sprung to mind is Bridget Doran, Founder of Traceport.io, an API organizations can use as a verification layer to make any record “provable.” The “Traceport for Charities” platform is an active use case built on top of the system, with a goal of making blockchain verification useful without requiring charities to become technical experts.
“Traceport helps charities create a permanent, public proof that something happened, like a donation being received or a program being funded, without putting sensitive information on the blockchain,” Doran explained.
“The charity records a cryptographic fingerprint of the event, which cannot be altered later. Donors, partners, or auditors can independently verify that record at any time, without needing to trust a private database or intermediary,” she said.
“The result is more trust, clearer accountability, and more confidence for everyone involved. The real value for charities is that this kind of proof helps them stand out in a crowded funding environment, where donors are comparing many organizations and deciding quickly who to trust,” she added.
When asked why highlighting “blockchain for good” projects like hers is essential for the progression of our industry, Doran pointed to the negative perceptions that surround crypto trading and finance.
“The biggest challenge is that many people associate blockchain only with speculation or scams, so they do not always see its value outside of finance. In my experience, that changes quickly when people see practical uses, especially in areas like charities,” she said.
“You do not need to understand the technical details to understand the benefit. When blockchain stays in the background and simply helps create trust and transparency, it becomes much easier to see what the technology is actually good for,” Doran added.
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Another way to use blockchain for good is in the carbon credits market, one of the topics discussed during Vaughan’s panel, “Blockchain, EST & the Future of Carbon Markets.”
“On a technical level, Blockchain offers uniqueness and completeness of data in a digital world. By issuing carbon credits on the blockchain, the uniqueness property means we can be sure they aren’t being double-sold, and completeness means we aren’t hiding anything,” Vaughan shared with me after his panel.
“Blockchain also comes with a ready-made wallet and payment infrastructure, which can help with tracking ownership,” he added.
During the panel, Vaughan also touched on misconceptions about block reward mining, such as that mining is damaging to the environment and society at large by diverting electricity from those who need it.
“The reality is the opposite. As an example, there were severe winter storms in the U.S., and Bitcoin miners switched off their machines so that power could be prioritized for domestic use. This highlights the potential for Bitcoin to provide disaster relief and grid security to highly developed countries like the U.S.,” he pointed out.
“On the environmental side, Bitcoin mining is a tool to monetize otherwise wasted electricity at renewable sites such as hydro projects. This can be a valuable revenue tool that can support the operational budget of these sites and even get them commissioned in the first place,” he said.
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Looking back on the Crypto for Good Conference, it was inspiring and made me proud to be part of a space doing so much good in the world. I’m looking forward to continuing these discussions at future blockchain events such as the “London Finance Summit: Payments & Digital Currencies” on March 12 and Osborne’s upcoming Women in Tech event later in the month.
“Diverse perspectives drive more inclusive innovation, particularly where impact and values intersect with tech. With [International Women’s Day on March 8th], I’m excited to be hosting an event that [spotlights women in Web3], not only around ‘blockchain for good,’ but across digital assets and inclusive innovation,” Osborne added.
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Watch | Blockchain Futurist 2025 (Part 1): What’s real vs what’s hype?
Source: https://coingeek.com/how-blockchain-and-digital-assets-can-make-a-positive-impact/